gallagher



R. D. GLLAGH'ER, In. FRICTION DRAFT GEAR FOR RAILWAY CARS.

2 SHEETSSHEE I.

APPLICATIGN FILED NOV. 20. |915 Patentdept. 21, 1920.

A4 anoniem PatentedSept. 21, 1920.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2- R. D. GALLAGHER, la. FRiCTION DRAFT GEAR FOR RAILWAY CARS.

APPLICATION man nowzo. m5. 1,353,529.

in m w wk a a UNITED STATES i'fu-i'i'ifzrir OFFICE.

RICHARD D. GALII'VHER, JR., 0F NEW YORK; N. Y.

FRIcTIoN DmtT-Gnnntron RAILWAY-CARS.

Sneciiication of Letters Patent.

Patented Sept. 21, 1920.

Application led November 20, 19.15. Serial No. 62,551.

' declare the following to be a full, clear, and

exact description of the saine, reference being had to the accompanying drawings,

forming part of this specification.

The objects of the present invention are primarily to provide a draft gear having an exceedingly high etliciency and at the same time a gear which will be within the dimen sionsfixed by standard practice. Another object is to provide a compact gearing in which the` now well recognized benefitsl of friction members' will he secured withoit complication of parts and without exceeding standard dimensions. Still other objects of the invention are to providea fear in which the parts cannot be assemble in incorrect relation to each other, and in which the parts are of such form and construction as to pre-- vent distortion and breakage under the moet severe strains to which they will he subjected in commercial usage.

The'invention consists in certain novel de.. tails of construction and combinations and arrangements of parts. all as will be licicinafter described and pointed ont particularly in the appended claims.

Referring to thc accompanying drawin fsfignre l is a side elevation of a draft gear embodying the present improvements.

Fig. 2 is a plan view of the same;

yFig. 3 is n` section in fi plane indicated by the dotted line 3 3 of Fig. 4.

Fi r.- 4 is n. section in a broken plane indiy catetibv the line /l--4 in Fig. 3, with some of the springs removed.

Fig. 5 is a section on the line 55 of Fi 2. A

"ig, 6 is an elevation Yof the springplate. Fig, 47 is an elevation of the friction box.

Fig. 81's a view loo'kiiig at the outer face of oneof the friction blocks.

Lil;v characters of refereiu'ze in the several figur y indicate thc same parts.

Tli draft gear of the present invention embodies inA its construction certain features which are common tothe draftgear illuv tinted in patents heretofore granted to this applicant and which llavenow gone in'teextcnsive public use; that is to say, there are relative);` movable parts with friction elcinents interposed between them. said friction elements embodying longitudinally and transversely movable wedge blocks with a center wedge which, by cooperation with the wedge blocks, is given a differential move ment with respect to the relatively movable members, so as to compress the springs to a greater degree than would he the case were they ii'itcri'ioscd directly between the relatively moi-able parte of thegcar. The structure also embodies a spring barrel or lionsing for the springs and a friction bo.\ carricd by said barrel with which the blocks cooperate for ifl'ccting the lateral movement of the hloclia` proportionately in accordance 'with their longitudinal movement.

ln the acroni|ianying drawings. the lionsing or, as is commonly termed in the art, the spring barrel is indicated generally by the reference letter A; the friction box, by tht reference letter li; the follower.r by the reference letter C; the wedges, by the reference letter l); and the center wedge by the refcrence letter E.

In accordance with the present invention. the soralled spring barrel is an. integral structure off-giincrally rectangular forniation. preferably closed at one end lby :i bot toni l" and haring at Vthe other end a rectangular opening' forming a sont or throat with inclined walls f for the reception of the rectangular stem or neck oi' the friction box li. The friction box B is iiinde of a composition beet calculated Vto withstand hin-sting strains and fo afford proper friction faces lfor'cooperation with the wedge blocks as will he hereinafter described. The stein portion b of the im is fitted in the throat or opening of the barrel with a fair degree of :iciairuey wherebythe parts will be seated firmly iqi'inst one another and a union or connection is effected by means which Vwill not'weaken either of the parts, preferal'ily by the formation .of openings in the joints and extending partly into the faces of theV throat and neck respectively. Such openings are drilled after the parte arc seated,s and are then filled by rivets or rods (i which aresiibseqnently headed or up set at the -Lends, as indicated at o in Fig. 3, whereby they are heldin ace and in turn firmly lcxilnhe barrel an friction box toget ef.-"` "u he barret is designed for the reception of a series of springs preferably arranged in sets of three, and each spring is mounted in a .separate cell, chamber or compartment, the cells beingr formed by vertical and horizontal webs H which bridge between the walls of the s ring barrel and extend from the bottom l? forwardly throughout the major portion of the barrel itself. The intermediate or central portions of the webs at the spring box end are cut away, however, to permit of the movement. of the parts in compressing the springs under strains to which the gear is subjected. The webs themselves are preferably provided with openings k therein and these openings are substantially in alinement with openings o in the external walls of the barrel. In addition to the openings a the walls of the barrel are provided with openings a in the narrower sides, thus providing for an effectual ventilation of the parts and providing openings through which the interior may be inspected. The exterior base of the barrel is provided with longitudinally extending recesses and ribs a2, some of which pass around the openings hereinbefore referred to, said ribs, together with the internal partitions H serving to elfectually brace and strengthen the whole structure, whereby it is rendered competent to resist any distortion or breakage strains to which it may be snbjerted in use. In Fig. 5, it will be seen that the webs or partitions H at their juncf tions are curved as is also the exterior wall at the sides of the several cells, whereby cells or chambers are formed which' will substantially fit and conine the several s )rings inv their proper relative positions. i t the same time the cellulaiconstruction, due to this formation, increases the strength of the structure and permits of the employment of relatively thin walls, thereby materially reducing weight without sacrificing strength.

The provision of a cellular spring barrel not only greatly strengthens the structure, but ma es provision for the use of springs which are relatively long as compared to their diameter, thus providing for a greater spring capacity than would be possible in 'any other structure of similar dimensions. The springs are indicated by the reference letter I, and it is obvious that there may be in each cell or chamber, inner and outer coils, said coils being preferably reversely wound, and at the bottom of each cell, the ends of the spring are held in proper relative position by lugs i properly spaced and formed, as shown in Fig. 5, for coperation with the ends ofthe springs. Where inner and outer coils are employed it is preferred that the inner coils shall be shorter than the outer coils whereby they act only after a partial compression of the outer coils, thus giving a soft preliminary action as has been heretofore proposed in this art.

At the forward end of the barrel the .springs abut against the inner face of a spring plate l( preferably having lugs or projections 1 for holding' the springs in proper relative position at their forward ends, the portions of the spring plate intermediate the s rings being cut away, as shown at K', (2, in Fig. 6, to prevent intcrference with the forwardly extending portions of the webs or cell walls of the barrel.

This spring plate K is designed to receive pressure from the center wedge E and in the preferred construction it is connected therewith. To effect the union, the center wedge E is provided with a stem l, rectangular in cross section, which passes through a correspondingly shaped opening at the center of the spring plate. Extending transversely through the stem Z is a curved aperture adapted for the reception of a pin Z' which is driven into position after the parts are assembled, and the ends bent back against the inner face of the spring plate, thereby locking the parts together and at the same time preventing the accidental escape of the pin itself. The pin and the inner end of the stem are located within a recess lc formed centrally in the inner face of the spring plate, thereby preventing any possible interference with the springs, and permitting the spring plate to present a plane face for coperation with the springs.

The center wedge E and the inclined friction faces B of the friction box B form between them wedge-shaped recesses in which the inner ends or angles of the wedge blocks D are adapted to seat. The outer faces of the wedge blocks D are adapted to receive the inner face of the follower C, whereby movement of the follower toward the barrel, or movement of the barrel toward the follower will cause the wedge blocks to travel inwardly and laterally, thereby imparting a differential longitudinal movement to the center Wedge and proportionately compressing the springs. The wedge blocks D, while of generally triangular formation, as has heretofore been proposed in the art, are, in the present instance, cut away at one corner, thereby forming faces d which, when the wedge blocks are in position, are substantially parallel with the longitudinal center of the gear. In addition, each Wedge block is formed with a recess or slot d extending inwardly from the faces d and adapted for the entry of a tongue or projection c on the inner face of the follower C.

Inasmueh as the parts in the present structure are arranged in exceedingly compact relation and it is desirable to make the tongue c as wide as possible, the outer corner of the center wedge E is slotted for the reception of the inner edge of the tongue, as shown clearly in Figs. 3 and 4 and as a renlt of the varrangement it becomes impossible to assemble the parts in an incorrect relation to each other. Furthermore, by cutting away the proximate corners of the triangular wedge blocks D, the said blocks are permitted to approach each other. or to have a more extended range of lateral movement than would be the case were true triangular blocks employed, thus materially reducing the space required for their operation. and correspondingly reducing the size of the whole apparatus. The tongue e lying within the slot Il in the wedge blocks D prevents said Wedge blocks from getting out of alinement and may thus be said to perform the dual functions of strengthening the follower, preventing the assembling of the parts' in any other than their correct positions and the preservation of the alinement of the parts after they are assembled.

lith a gear embodying the construction heminbefore set forth, it is practical to make the same of a size which will coliform to standard practice and permit of the gear being mounted in standard attachments. At the same time it presents the capacity of an external formation which will fit the attachn ments or cooperating parts, such as the stops. yoke, draw bars 0r buffer beams of practically any of the customary equipments now in use.

What is claimed is:

1. A draft gear embodying a spring barrel having a plurality of longitudinally arranged partitions therein forming a series of independent spring cells, said partitions having their central portions at the forward ends ent away to form a working spare for the spring plate. independent springs loA cated in said cells. a spring plate against which y,the forward ends of the springs ahnt. a follower, and friction elements intermediate the follower and spring plate.

2. A draft gear embodying -a spring har rel, a friction box mounted in position at one end of the barrel. sprin rs located within the barrel. and a center we( ge held advanced by the springs, of wedge blocks cooperating with the friction box and center wedge respectively, said Wedge blocks having parallel proximate faces and a follower cooperating with the outer faces of the blocks.

3. A draft gear embodying a spring barrel.y a friction box at one end of the spring barrel. springs Within the ibarrel and a renter Wedge held advanced by the springs, in combination with Wedge blocks having their proximate portions slotted, and a follower against which the outer faces of the wedge blocks abut. having an inwardly eX- tending tongue located in the slots in the wedge blocks.

4. A draft gear embodying a spring bar reha friction box at the open end of the spring barrel. springs, and center Wedge held advanced by the springs, in combination with Wedge blocks havin parallel proximate faces formed with alined slots and a follower with which the outer faces of the wedge blocks cooperate provided with an inwardly extending tongue positioned to work in the slots formed in the Wedge blocks whereby the Wedge blocks are held in proper alinen'xentand the assemblingof the parts in incorrect relation is prevented.

5. In a device of the cliaracter described, the` combination with a casing of a separate friction shell. said easing and shell having roperahle slots adapted to be longitudil nally alined when the casing and shell are assembled. aniLkeys disposed within said slots, said keys being placed under shear throughout their length upon tendency of the shell and easing to shift longitudinally relatively to each other.

i'. ln a device of the character described, the combination with a easing having an op-.Ining at one end thereof. of a shell having one end ther-rol' extended amhfitting Within said opening. the overlapping parts of said .shell and easing having oppostrd slots and keys extending lengthwise of said slots, each key heilig positioned partly within a slot of the easing and partlyr within an opposed slot ol the shell.

RICHARD D. ('iALLAGHER, JR. 

